It’s hard to imagine a better setup for heroics than people being enslaved.  This is precisely the situation that existed in parts of the New World (that is, the Americas) in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

It is a sad fact that we will not be able to mention most of the brave men and women of the Underground Railroad. Because of the illegal nature of the operation, few records were made, and even fewer kept. It must also be remembered that almost all of the slaves who were smuggled to the north were illiterate and unable to record their stories.

Most of the people who deserve to be remembered as heroes are unknown to us. This is a most unfortunate thing, but we will, at least, honor those whose names we do know. [...]